Thermoelectric generator



1954 R. P. FLAGG THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR Filed Oct. 26, 195].

INVENTOR.

RAYMOND I? FLAGG ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 5, 1954 THERMOELECTRIC GENERATORRaymond P. Flagg, Moundsview Township, Ramsey County, Minn., assignor toMinneapolis- Honeywell Regulator Company, Minneapolis, Minn, acorporation of Delaware Application October 26, 1951, Serial No. 253,365

11 Claims.

This invention relates to thermoelectric generators and, morespecifically, it relates to a combination of a thermopile and a pilotburner for use with a main burner of a furnace.

The problems of linting of burner orifices and of providing pilotburners that have orifices so positioned that they may be usedsatisfactorily on difierent types of furnaces, have for many years beenone of the major concerns of the gas heating industry. Heretofore,frequent service calls have been necessary to clean the burners ofaccumulated lint, and installation and service companies have beenrequired to stock numerous types of pilot burner tips or heads in orderto have one which would suit a particular installation.

It is therefore one of the objects of the present invention to provide athermoelectric generator with burners that do not lint up anywherenearly as much as the prior art burners, due to the positioning of aprimary and secondary air opening with respect to the burners.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive pilotburner generator that produces a high E. M. F. for the amount of gasconsumed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a thermoelectricgenerator wherein a burner has a plurality of orifices which may beselectedly used by a simple adjustment of the burner tip.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a pilot burnerhaving adjustable means therein for selectively determining which of aplurality of angularly arranged orifices is or are to be used.

A further object of the invention is to provide a thermoelectricgenerator wherein a flame runner slot extends from burner orificesintermediate the ends of the burner to a plurality of selectivelyuseable orifices arranged around the upper end of the burner.

Still further objects of the invention will become apparent upon readingthe following detailed description of the invention in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section of the thermoelectric generatorwith the thermopile shown partly broken away;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the generator taken along theline 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 1but looking upwardly of the generator towards the burner head; and

Figure 5 is a nurmontal sectional view taken along line 55 of Figure 1and looking downwardly on the generator.

As can be best seen in Figure 1 of the drawing, the burner portion ofthe thermoelectric generator is formed of an internally threadedsleevelike bottom member 1 I, an intermediate sleeve l2, having aconstricted throat portion [3, and a burner head portion i l that arerigidly held together in spaced and aligned relationship by means of aformed sheet of metal I5. The sheet partially encircles portions of saidmembers and extends transversely to one side of the burner to form achannel portion 16 to receive and encase a thermopile H. The portion l6has integral and inwardly extending flange portions [8 which cooperatewith a generally U shaped conduit member IS with legs I90, to form gaspassages communicating with a chamber 20 between the members l2 and M.The member l9 has a sealing arm portion i912 which engages in an annulargroove I 2a half way around the member 42 and similarly has a portion[90 which engages half of the circumference of the lower end of themember M. Elongated notches 2| or other suitable openings in the upperend of the arm l9a form orifices for directing fiames along the side ofthe thermopile I! to heat the so-called hot junction end thereof.Inwardly extending flanges I Go and [6b are adapted to engage the sidesof the thermopile ll to provide with those sides an upwardly extendingair passage from a non-flanged lower end [6c between members Illa andthe thermopile, to provide secondary air for the flame produced atorifices 2i. The opening between the pile and the end I is substantiallyin alignment with the lower end of the member 12 so that some of the airentering the opening may be drawn by the aspirating effect of a nozzleor spud 22 directing gas upwardly and axially into the throat portion [3of the member l2. Inasmuch as a far greater amount of the air enteringthe opening at I60 is flowing in a vertical direction, the smalleramount of air which is deflected from said path of flow transversely andslightly downwardly into the lower end of the member l2, will besubstantially free of small particles of lint and dust which will becarried by their own inertia and the much larger mass vof air upwardlythrough the secondary air passage to the burner orifices 2! where theywill be burned or carried on out with the products of combustion.

The burner head or tip M has a stepped bore 23 therein that has thelarger inner diameter 7 3 portion 230; at the upper end thereof. The tipalso has radial bores 24 therein for directing the main burner igniterflame or flames in a desired direction. A rotatable plug 25 has anannular rib at the lower end thereof which snugly engages the lowerportion of the bore 23 and an annular rib 2'! spaced downwardly a shortdistance from a headed portion 28. The diameter of the rib 27 is such asto snugly engage in the enlarged bore portion 23a and is apertured at 29to provide two diametrically opposed openings and one at a 45 degreeangle to the axis of the diametrically opposed openings so as to permitselective use of one or a pair of the openings 24 by rotating the plug25 for aligning the 45 degree hole in the member 25 with one of theholes 2 5 or by aligning the diametrically opposed holes 29 v withdiametrically opposed holes 24 in the member M. A set screw (not shown)may be used in the threaded hole as to frictionally engage the plug 25to lock it in its adjusted position. The position of the lower edge ofthe rib 2'! is such as to engage the lower end of the recess 23a. tocause the head 28 to be positioned a slight distance from the upper endof the member M. It is thus seen that gas entering the lower end of themember [4 can reach the longitudinally extending flame runner slot Maand the annularly disposed slot 25a by passing directly to the slot I iafrom the lower end of bore 23 and to the slot Ma and annular slot 25athrough the openings 29 to the space between the plug 25 and the memberis. Therefore, no matter what annular relationship the plug 25 has withrespect to the member [4, a runner flame will extend from a pointadjacent the burner orifices 2i longitudinally oi the burner and aroundthe burner to whatever opening 24 is being used.

- For mounting the generator on a main burner or an associated part ofthe furnace, a bracket Si is welded or otherwise suitably secured to themember l5 and is bolted or otherwise secured to a mountingplate 32. i

As illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing, the generator is adjusted foronly the right hand orifice 24 to provide a flame for igniting a mainburner, which would naturally be positioned to the right of the burneras viewed in Figure 1. Gas issuing from the spud 22 will pick up pri-'mary air from the opening its and direct a mixture of gas and air intothe chamber 26. From there the mixture will pass transversely throughthe channels 19a to the burner orifices 2'! and to the pilot burnerthrough the members 23, plug 25, orifice 29 and orifice 24 and runnerslots Ida and 25a. This will enable the thermopile IT to be heated onopposite sides thereof by ribbon like flames issuing from the orifices 2I andsupported by secondary air flowing to these flames from surroundingexternal air as well as air passing up through the passages formed bythe portion 16 and the thermopile casing.

It is thus seen that with the above described simple construction it ispossible, with the proper selection of burner arrangement, to make apilot generator installation which will require very little servicing,due to the non-linting thereof, as well as enable the installation ofthe burner with out requiring the installer to stock a large nuznber ofdifferent types of burner tips.

As other modifications of the invention may be made without departingfrom the spirit of the invention, it is to be understood that the scopeof the invention is to be determined solely from the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A thermoelectric generator comprising a burner having a first bodyportion with a nozzle therein, a second hollow body portion in alignmentwith but spaced from said first body portion to provide for theaspirating of air into said second body portion by the flow of gas fromsaid nozzle, an encased thermocouple unit, a burner tip, and asupporting and connecting member engaging said first and second bodyportions and said tip and said thermocouple unit so as to hold them inassembled relationship, said member having an opening therein adjacentthe lower edge or said second body portion and being formed with gaspassages and orifices therein extending from said second body portionalong opposite sides of said unit for directing flames on said unit, andforming with said unit air passages extending from said opening upwardlybetween said unit and said member to provide primary air at said nozzleand secondary air at said orifices".

2. A thermoelectric generator comprising a burner having a first bodyportion with a nozzle therein, a second hollow body portion in alignmentwith but spaced from said first body portion to provide for theaspirating of air into said second body portion by the flow of gas fromsaid nozzle, an encased thermocouple unit, and a supporting andconnecting member engaging said first and second body portions and saidthermocouple unit so as to hold them in assembled relationship, saidmember having a horizontally spaced opening therein adjacent the loweredge of said second body portion and being formed with gas passages andorifices therein extending from said second body portion along oppositesides of said unit for directing flames on said unit, and forming withsaid unit air passages extending from said opening upwardly between saidunit and said member to provide primary air at said nozzle and secondaryair at said orifices.

3. A thermoelectric generator comprising a burner having a first bodyportion with a nozzle therein, a second hollow body portion in alignmentwith but spaced from said first body portion to provide for theaspirating of air into said second body portion by the flow of gas fromsaid.

nozzle, a thermocouple unit, and a supporting and connecting memberengaging said first and second body portions and said thermocouple unitso as to hold themin assembled relationship, said member having anopening therein near the lower edge of said second body portion andbeing formed with gas passages and orifices therein extending from saidsecond body portion along opposite sides of said unit and forming withsaid unit air passages extending from said openingupwardly between saidunit and saidmember to provide primary air at said nozzle and secondaryair at said orifices.

i. A thermoelectric generator comprising a burner having a first bodyportion, a second hollow body portion inalignment with but spaced fromsaid first body portion to provide for the aspirating of air into saidsecond body portion by the flow of gas from said first body portion, athermocouple unit, and a supporting and connecting member engaging saidfirst and second body portions and said thermocouple unit so as to h'oldthem in assembled relationship, said memher having an opening thereinsubstantially in the same plane as the lower edge of said second bodyportion and being'forme'd with gas passages and orifices thereinextending from said second body portion along opposite sides of saidunit and forming with said unit air passages extending from said openingupwardly between said unit and said member to provide primary air atsaid nozzle and seco dary air at said orifices.

5. In a thermoelectric generator, the combination comprising a b erhaving l burner tip and a transverse oponin mediate its ends and aprimary air inlet the bottom thereof, and thermocouple unit ositioned toone side or said burner, said burner having upper and lower inwardlyextending flanges on loo portion encircling said thermocouple unitburner, conduits on opposed sides of on and communicating with trandirecting flames onto 1 and the upper flanges on said i gage said unitexcept a short len substantiall "i alignmen: with the primary air inletin said urner.

In a thermoelectric generator, the combination comprising burner havinga burner tip and a transv rse o. its ends and a prime y air inlet nearhe bottom thereof, and a ther oned to one side of said burner, saidburner having and lower inwardly extending on a loop portion encirclingsaid thermocouple unit and said burner, conduits on opposed sides ofsaid loop portion and communicating with transverse opening for diecting flames onto opposite sides of said unit and the upper flanges onsaid loop portion being spaced from said unit while the lower flangesengage said unit except for a short length thereof substantially inalignment with the primary air opening in said burner and transverselyspaced therefrom.

7. In a thermoelectric generator, the combination comprising a burnerhaving a burner tip and a transverse opening intermediate its ends and aprimary air inlet near the bottom thereof, and a thermocouple unitpositioned to one side of said burner, said burner havin a portionextending along the side of said thermocouple unit from said transverseopening for directing a flame onto a side of said unit and being spacedfrom said unit to provide a secondary air passage therebetween, saidportion having a lower edge in engagement with said unit except for ashort length thereof substantially in alignment with the primary airinlet in said burner to provide primary and secondary air for saidprimary air inlet and said burner portion.

8. In a thermoelectric generator, the combination comprising a burnerhaving a burner tip and a transverse opening intermediate its ends and aprimary air inlet near the bottom thereof, and a thermocouple unitpositioned to one side of said burner, said burner having a loop portionencircling said thermocouple unit and said burner, a conduit on saidloop portion communicating with said transverse opening for directing adame onto a side of said unit, upper flanges on said loop portion beingspaced from said unit to cooperate with said conduit in directing saidflame and lower flanges on said loop engaging said unit except for ashort length thereof substantially in alignment with the primary airinlet in said burner, to permit primary and secondary air to enterbetween said loop portion and said unit.

9. A pilot burner comprising a tubular body, the upper end of said bodyhaving an enlarged coaxial recess therein with a plurality ofcircumconduit 0 head overlying the end of said body and forming anannular re oer groove therewith, the lower i havin an annular externalsealg the inner surface of said body, a r b or said plug near the uppereter substantially equal to enlarged recess, and a radial 9; throughsaid plug and second ,nment with said radial oriid estab 'shingcommunication between 'nterior of burner body and said runner slot andgroove.

ii). A pilot 1 the end ner comprising a tubular body, said body havingan enlarged recess therein th a plurality of circumferentially spaced r.dial orifices extending from the bottom of said recess through the wallthereof, a burner con 6 tending laterally from the cen y and havingorifices therein, a runner slot in s" pper end of said body extendingfro .1 ereor to a point adjacent said fices, inverted cup-shaped plugrotatably posnioned within said body and having an enla ged headoverlying the end of said body and for lung an annular runner groovetherewith, the lower end of s plug having an annular external sealingrib engaging the inner surface of said body above conduit, a secondannular rib on said plug near the upper end the eof of a diametersubstantially equal to the diameter of said onlarged recess, and aradial passage extending through a wall of said plug and s id second ribfor selective alignment with said radial orifices and conducting gasfrom the center of said burner body to said runner slot and groove.

11. A pilot burner comprising a tubular body, the upper end of said bodyhaving an enlarged recess therein with a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced radial orifices extending from the bottom of said recess throughthe wall thereof, a burner conduit extending laterally from the centerof tubular body and having orifices therein, a runner slot in said upperend extending trom the end thereof to a point adjacent said laterallyextending burner conduit, an inverted cup-shaped plug having an enlargedhead overlying the end of said body and forming an annular runner groovetherewith and extending inwardly beyond said enlarged recess, the lowerend of said plug having an annular external sealing rib engaging theinner surface or" said body, a second annular rib on said plug near theupper end thereof of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter ofsaid enlarged recess, and a radial passage extending through said secondrib for selective alignment with said radial orifices and conduiting gasto said runner slot and groove.

RAYMOND P. FLAGG.

Name Date 2491517 Ray Sept. 10, 1946 2,526,112 Biggle Oct. 17, 1950

